The Indian Housing Project, under which 46,000 houses are to be constructed or repaired in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and 4,000 houses constructed in the Central and Uva Provinces, is nearing completion in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. As on December 31, 2015, a total of 43,800 houses have been completed. In 2015, 13,827 new houses were constructed in the Northern Province, and 2,051 in the Eastern Province. In addition, 502 damaged houses were repaired in the Northern Province. Only 2,200 houses remain to be constructed or repaired in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, which is expected to be completed during the next few months.

In June 2010, the Government of India announced that it would construct 50,000 houses in Sri Lanka as part of post-conflict rehabilitation efforts. The project is being implemented as full-grant assistance amounting to USD 270 million (approximately SLR 30 billion) from the Government of India, making it one of the largest grant assistance projects ever undertaken by India overseas. Under the pilot phase of the project, which was completed in July 2012, the Government of India entrusted an agency to construct 1,000 houses in the Northern Province.

An innovative owner-driven model is being pursued to implement the second phase to construct 45,000 houses in the Northern and Eastern Provinces, wherein the Government of India arranges technical support and financial assistance for the owner-beneficiaries to undertake the construction, and repair of their houses themselves. Financial assistance of SLR 550,000 per beneficiary (SLR 250,000 in case of repair cases) is released in stages, and transferred directly into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries by the High Commission of India. The project is being implemented in close consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka and other stakeholders, and the highest standards of objectivity and transparency are being followed, both for beneficiary selection and payment mechanism.

The third phase, to construct 4,000 houses in the Central and Uva Provinces through an innovative community-driven approach, will be launched very shortly.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa left for a four day official visit to China today morning and will hold discussions with Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay, the Daily Mirror learns.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe visited the Chief Prelate of the Malwatu Chapter, Most Ven. Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Maha Nayaka Thera and the Chief Prelate of the Asgiri Chapter, Most Ven. Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Nayaka Thera a short while ago.

The Constitutional Council has again rejected President Ranil Wickremesinghe's proposal to extend Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam's term by six months. In a recent vote, five members opposed the extension while three supported it.

Markham, Canada - Over fifteen years following the end of Sri Lanka’s Genocidal war against Eelam Tamils, families of the forcibly disappeared are still searching for answers about the whereabouts of their loved ones. The recent UN Human Rights Office report released on May 17 highlights the ongoing issue of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka and urges the Sri Lankan government to take action to strengthen their truth-seeking mechanisms and to ensure accountability for all perpetrators. Furthermore, on June 5, a report launch event titled "15 Years of Official Peace" convened to unveil the findings of this document and discuss the conclusion with panellists.

Treasury Secretary Mahinda Siriwardena yesterday described Sri Lanka reaching agreements with the Official Creditors Committee (OCC) and China EXIM Bank as a “critical milestone”, and said the Government is continuing the process to stabilise and promote long-term economic growth.

The United States Ambassador to Sri Lanka, Julie J. Chung, has expressed support for the final agreement on debt restructuring between Sri Lanka and its creditor nations. The agreement was reached today on the sidelines of the Paris Forum 2024.

Sri Lanka has reached a final restructuring agreement for $5.8 billion of debt with its bilateral lenders' Official Creditor Committee in Paris. According to the President’s Media Division, the agreement was finalized a short while ago.

Foreign Minister Ali Sabry is scheduled to undertake an official visit to Japan from July 1, the Foreign Affairs Ministry said. They said the visit will be made on an invitation extended by Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa,

A fatal accident on Tuesday night resulted in the deaths of three persons and left two others injured when a lorry collided with a parked bus on the A9 road in Mankulam, according to police.

Police fired tear gas and used water cannons at the teachers’ and principals’ union members who staged a protest near the Lotus roundabout, Colombo.

A sailor sustained fatal wounds and a Navy Dora damaged due to the aggressive maneuvering of a poaching Indian bottom trawler during a pre-dawn operation by the Sri Lanka Navy to seize the intruding vessel in the seas off Delft Island in Jaffna yesterday, the Navy said.

The Ceylon Teachers’ Union (CTU) has announced that the trade union action launched by teachers and principals will continue tomorrow as well.

Speculation is rife within the political circles of an imminent cabinet reshuffle in the coming weeks, the Daily Mirror learns.

A total of 946 people belonging to 432 families have been affected by the drought, the Disaster Management Centre (DMC) said. They said the people in the Karachchi divisional secretariat of the Killinochchi district in the Northern Province have been affected.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena appointed four new district secretaries for the Colombo, Kalutara, Jaffna, and Kilinochchi districts.

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) observed that Members of Parliament should not interfere with the functions of the judiciary or the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) by making statements under the protection of Parliamentary Privileges.

The Cabinet gave approval for the signing of the debt restructuring agreements with the relevant parties, a Minister said. President Ranil Wickremesinghe briefed the Cabinet at its meeting held on Monday evening.

A Special Parliamentary Sitting has been scheduled for July 2, 2024, at 9:30 AM, at the request of the Prime Minister, according to the Communication Department of Parliament.

The results of the 2023 (2024) GCE Ordinary Level Examination will be released within the next 10 days, the Department of Examinations announced.

The Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) is to take disciplinary action against its Chairman Sarath Fonseka this week, Party General Secretary Ranjith Madduma Bandara said yesterday.